As the second remake of the classic PS2 game from Team Ico, Shadow of the Colossus for PS4 is a shining example of how timeless some games can be. You'd think that a game that's already been remade once would incur the ire of the gaming world for being yet another cash grab for minimal effort, but no. Shadow of the Colossus the PS4 is anything but.

Although Sony obviously stands to make even more money off the back of a game that's already been sold twice on different platforms, the PS4 incarnation of the Team Ico game is no simple high-res rush job. Instead, developer Bluepoint Games has diligently analysed the original game, and has improved the areas that could benefit from a little TLC, but left all of the already superb content in place. What we're left with after all of this work is undoubtedly the best version of the game, and a title that still stands tall, competing against new releases of today, despite originally being released 12 years ago.

If you've never played the original game, or the PS3 remaster, Shadow of the Colossus is a third person action adventure that sees you play a young warrior called Wander, who has to hunt down and slay various huge colossi that lurk within a secluded valley. This is done by using a variety of tactics, including the use of Wander's horse, Agro. The Colossi are often huge, towering creatures that Wander has to scale in order to find weak spots so he can do damage, all the time avoiding being shaken off to the ground, or stomped into oblivion.

The various colossi are all very different, with a wide range of dangers represented, and each offers a very different challenge. In essence, the game is a boss rush of sorts. There are no other enemies, and the game's main sections alternate between finding and traversing the path towards your next target, and the fight with the beast itself.

It's also a game heavy on atmosphere and emotion, as Wander's goal is to ultimately revive his lost love. To do this, he makes a deal with a mysterious force to slay the colossi in exchange for the power to save her. Are the Colossi evil? is Wander making a mistake? Who is the girl he's saving?Just who is this formless benefactor? These are all questions that play on your mind whilst exploring the lush world, fighting the impressive colossi, and generally taking in the unique feel and art direction Team Ico is known for. And you know what? It's just as good, if not better than ever before.

Bluepoint has done a superb job in remaking the game for the PS4, a job made all the more impressive when you consider the game still runs on the original PS2 game engine. Yes, it really does, and this doesn't only show you how skilled Team Ico is, but also just how timeless the original game was, and still is in updated form.

Bluepoint has scoured the game's code, and has fixed some of the few niggles the original game had. Wander is now more responsive, especially when climbing, and riding on Agro is a more fluid experience. Wander can now grab hold of Agro and mount him in motion, which can make fights using Agro better. There are changes to the control scheme that just make perfect sense, and the visuals have obviously been given a major overhaul, with improved lighting and a 60fps frame rate. Indeed, the game looks stunning, and is once of the best-looking on the PS4, with some truly amazing vistas to explore whilst tracking down your next, giant opponent.

Each of these opponents is a totally unique experience, too, and each is a puzzle of how you approach, climb, and find their weakspots. Wander can use his magic sword to both locate the colossi and find their weak spots, but it's up to you to figure out how to get to it, and to manage Wander's grip stamina when climbing the moving, often very aggravated giant you're clambering around. It's a formula that some have attempted to recreate since, but have never bettered, until now, with the original's own remaster.

Although no game is perfect, it's hard to find any faults here, even though it's a 12 year old release at its core. Bluepoint has successfully retooled it to modern gaming standards, added some new features, including a screen shot mode, a tool Shadow of the Colossus is just perfect for, and the entire game still feels like a breath of fresh air. Truly impressive, and a game you simply must grab hold of. A true masterpiece.

I got to the 9th colossus...and frankly got sick of the lack of instruction for getting on the beast, the tiresome controls and shitty camera when on the horse. Great looking game... but definitely not for everybody.

I got to the 9th colossus...and frankly got sick of the lack of instruction for getting on the beast, the tiresome controls and shitty camera when on the horse. Great looking game... but definitely not for everybody.

Crappy camera is the number one complaint I hear about this game. This is the first review I've seen to not even bring it up. Makes me think this review is bias or the reviewer doesn't mind fighting the camera.

A beautifully written review with one typo "and is once of the best-looking on the PS4." My impression is that this is an amazing game that I never want to play. The atmosphere and mysterious story are the most appealing, but the above mentioned camera issues along with the Boss fight puzzles just sounds frustrating. But that can be said for many games these days, perhaps why rehashed PS2 classics polished to perfection are still aged. This is the kind of game that can add credibility to games as art yet I want to experience that art with the same kind of fluidity in the nuance minus all of the gameplay that makes it a chore. In that respect it seems like it misses the mark because to get to the good parts you have to deal with a bunch of janky trial and error.